Best Way to Sell Your Used Car

You can trade in for a new car or get cash for your sale. You can sell a used car right here on Kelley Blue Book. If you choose not to sell it online, you can either sell it to a dealership or privately. Remember to shop around for the best offer if you sell to a dealership.

Private party sales, on the other hand, could cost you additional time and money. Sellers can list their vehicle for $4.95 for a 30 day listing on Cargurus to reach a large audience of potential car buyers. Buyers can search for nearby listings by inputting criteria including make, model, year, and location. Simply provide your car details on their site for an instant quote, which is good for 7 days if you want to check out dealerships or other options. Selling to a private party might be a good option if you want to get more money for your car. Another place to find your car’s value is to check out local dealerships for similar cars to yours. Sellers in some states must notify the county tax assessor’s office of the sale, which provides another layer of protection if the future owner fails to properly title the vehicle.

These websites are a great way to reach a large audience of buyers. Sell it to a local dealer.Dealers are the most common way to sell vehicles, and it’s usually the most hassle-free way to go. Use an online service like Carvana or Kelley Blue Book to find out how much your car is worth, and then you can set your asking price.

Gather the Paperwork

You’ll also have to let them know whether you want to pursue a trade-in option before moving forward to purchase. You’ll be redirected to wait for your information to be processed before moving forward. You’ll be notified when you can move on through the phone number you provided. Low ratings on Trustpilot from around 300 customers. Yet considering CarMax sold nearly one million vehicles in 2021, the negative reviews account for a small percentage of customers.

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Customers specifically noted the great customer service from CarMax representatives. However, our team also found reviews complaining about the selling and buying process taking too long and issues with meeting in person for transactions. Be prepared to sell your car on the spot if the buyer wants to complete the sale. Remember to bring your car title and all the collected paperwork to the meeting, but keep it in a safe place until decision time. If using the Private Seller Exchange, the site collects the title and payment. Just make sure not to release the vehicle until the payment clears and you get the all clear.

The car ads also run nationally for those hard-to-find vehicles. You can stand out to buyers interested in your car with a detailed description and several good photos. Once you’ve decided to sell your car privately, it’s time to get the word out to the largest audience possible and sell a car online. Options can bump up your car’s resale value, so be sure you have a complete list. If you want to see if you missed anything, check your original sales documents or the window sticker.

If you have waited longer than this, contact their customer service department. While there is no specific date for how long a CarMax location can hold your car, you can generally expect it to be held for at least a week. However, this depends on the location and if there are already additional buyers who are willing to purchase. Be aware that CarMax’s offers are contingent upon the inspection. So, make sure you disclose the true condition of your vehicle when you get the offer online. That gives you time to compare offers from other companies and see which one is best.

If your vehicle has a small dent or two, dings or scratches on the paint, it will likely be labeled as being in poor condition, especially if it’s a late model used car. Finally, if you sell a car that breaks down right away, you could be dealing with some big headaches.

Your vehicle had to be repaired due to a major accident. Rashawn Mitchner is a MarketWatch Guides team editor with over 10 years of experience covering personal finance and insurance topics. Certified Dealers are contractually obligated by TrueCar to meet certain customer service requirements and complete the TrueCar Dealer Certification Program. See immediately how features like color and mileage affect your car’s value. Enter your car’s information and instantly get a value estimate. It’s also important to consider how much time you spend on the process because some websites require more effort than others.

When to Trade In a Car

Although the average price of used cars seems to be dropping in 2023, at this writing, they remain stubbornly high. If you’ve got an older car with lots of miles, it’s best to try to sell it yourself, or you may want to get bids from local independent used car lots. They’re more likely to want to buy your car since they typically sell older vehicles. It seems like it’s a no-brainer to sell your car privately, but there’s a long list of disadvantages you need to consider. Most dealers will automatically deduct half the cost of repairs from the value of your vehicle.

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